Paper
23 September 2009 Improved target detection by IR dual-band image fusion
Author Affiliations +
Abstract
Dual-band thermal imagers acquire information simultaneously in both the 8-12 μm (long-wave infrared, LWIR) and the 3-5 μm (mid-wave infrared, MWIR) spectral range. Compared to single-band thermal imagers they are expected to have several advantages in military applications. These advantages include the opportunity to use the best band for given atmospheric conditions (e. g. cold climate: LWIR, hot and humid climate: MWIR), the potential to better detect camouflaged targets and an improved discrimination between targets and decoys. Most of these advantages have not yet been verified and/or quantified. It is expected that image fusion allows better exploitation of the information content available with dual-band imagers especially with respect to detection of targets. We have developed a method for dual-band image fusion based on the apparent temperature differences in the two bands. This method showed promising results in laboratory tests. In order to evaluate its performance under operational conditions we conducted a field trial in an area with high thermal clutter. In such areas, targets are hardly to detect in single-band images because they vanish in the clutter structure. The image data collected in this field trial was used for a perception experiment. This perception experiment showed an enhanced target detection range and reduced false alarm rate for the fused images compared to the single-band images.
© (2009) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
U. Adomeit and R. Ebert "Improved target detection by IR dual-band image fusion", Proc. SPIE 7481, Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems: Technology and Applications VI, 74810B (23 September 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.832294
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Cited by 2 scholarly publications.
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KEYWORDS
Image fusion

Target detection

Long wavelength infrared

Mid-IR

Thermography

Cameras

Infrared imaging

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